‘Appoint Malayalam teachers from primary level onwards’: Federation to move HC over erosion of learning standards

Thrissur: A student's leave request message to the Collector recently went viral on social media. The note, riddled with spelling mistakes, drew a pointed reply from Pathanamthitta Collector S Premkrishnan “Attend school regularly, especially Malayalam class.” The exchange, which made waves online, has now been highlighted by a group of Malayalam teachers as a clear indicator that Kerala’s quality education model needs to be backed by qualified teachers on the ground.

The Malayalam Teachers’ Federation has flagged the lack of trained instructors at LP (Lower Primary) and UP (Upper Primary) levels as the chief reason for the ongoing decline in language standards. The Federation is now preparing to move the High Court, demanding the appointment of Malayalam teachers from the primary level itself and the launch of a dedicated D El Ed (Diploma in Elementary Education) course in Malayalam.

It has been eight years since the Kerala Legislative Assembly passed the Malayalam Language Promotion Act in 2017 and issued the corresponding notification. The following year, rules under the Act were also framed. However, there has been no real attempt to verify whether the law is being implemented, nor any effort to address the obstacles in its path.

Languages like Sanskrit and Arabic enjoy the support of special officers at both the state and district levels for academic planning, monitoring and problem-solving. Malayalam, despite being the state’s official language, lacks such a structure. Furthermore, while D El Ed courses exist in Arabic, Sanskrit and Urdu, no such option is currently available in Malayalam.

As a result, schools have teachers for these languages from the primary level itself, whereas Malayalam and English get subject-specific teachers only from Class 8 onwards. Many primary school teachers neither studied in Malayalam-medium institutions nor learned Malayalam as a subject—yet they now teach in government and aided schools, the Federation notes. The situation for English is not much better.

In some schools, Malayalam at the upper primary level is reportedly being handled by teachers officially posted for Arabic or Sanskrit. Malayalam teachers say they have collected documentary evidence in support of this claim.

The Federation argues that while the state government promotes a robust public education model, this must be matched with corresponding appointments and academic clarity. Without this, the very foundation of language learning is bound to erode.